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August 2011

Executive Summary

Introduction

1. This Spatial Guide is a non-statutory planning document and has three main purposes:

a. To set out a spatial interpretation of other Pennine Lancashire wide strategies, focussing on the area’s geography and the roles of places.

b. To complement the economic focus of the Multi Area Agreement by considering environmental issues and recognising the potential conflict between economic growth and environmental protection.

c. To provide a framework to guide Pennine Lancashire authorities’ spatial planning activity and to help align their Local Development Frameworks.

2. Pennine Lancashire as an economic footprint comprises the Boroughs of Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Burnley, Ribble Valley, Pendle and Rossendale. Covering an area of over 120,000 hectares, and home to over half a million people, the sub- region is located to the east of Preston and to the north of the Manchester City Region. Pennine Lancashire does not have one dominant town, rather it comprises of a rich array of various settlements, all with important and complementary roles to play in the future of the area.

3. Spatially, Pennine Lancashire consists of three major areas defined by physical geography, economic history, and relationships to places elsewhere: a “central belt” of industrial-revolution towns along the M65 corridor running through Blackburn to Colne; the largely rural Ribble Valley to the north; and Rossendale to the south with strong links to Manchester. Although bound together by economic linkages, their physical setting and a number of shared challenges, the three areas also have different characteristics and present different opportunities.

• M65 corridor towns typically present a mixture of attractive and affluent areas with areas of significant deprivation – often close to one another.

• The Ribble Valley is a highly sought-after rural area which presents challenges in terms of housing affordability, both in its main settlements and in the more remote countryside.

• Rossendale is most strongly influenced by its physical geography of steep sided valleys with the main settlements confined to valley floors. As well as these “core” characteristics the areas within Pennine Lancashire have a significant role as interfaces with surrounding areas: Rossendale with Greater Manchester; Ribble Valley with Yorkshire, Lancaster and Preston; the M65 corridor with Yorkshire to the west, Preston to the east and Manchester to the south. This geography strongly influences the roles of places and the context within which investment and development takes place.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 1 4. To address the challenges and opportunities faced by Pennine Lancashire, the Spatial Guide covers four key areas: “Economic Regeneration”; “Rebalancing the Housing Market”; “Accessibility and Connectivity”; and “A High Quality Environment – Green Infrastructure”. These are closely linked, and the interventions and projects in each of the areas will need to be delivered in a coordinated manner to achieve the economic transformation of Pennine Lancashire.

Economic Regeneration

5. Pennine Lancashire retains a strong manufacturing base and whilst the sector accounts for a smaller proportion of total employment than historically, it remains a significant sector and key economic strength in the sub-region. Aerospace, advanced manufacturing, advanced flexible materials, digital and creative industries all feature strongly in the area’s economy and are nationally important. However despite Pennine Lancashire’s strengths the area is underperforming and GVA per head is around £4,000 less than nationally.

6. In order to enhance Pennine Lancashire’s competitiveness and to support the transformation of its economy, we have identified a series of strategic employment development sites. These sites are of varying scales but all will make a significant contribution to Pennine Lancashire’s transformation objectives. It is essential that the area offers a varied portfolio of sites in order to attract new businesses and investors to the area and to provide opportunities for growing local businesses to relocate within the area.

Economic Regeneration – Key Spatial Interventions Knowledge Based Investment in Town Smaller sites that will make an important Centres: contribution to Pennine Lancashire’s overall • Blackburn Knowledge Zone offer: • Burnley Education and Enterprise Zone • Spinning Jenny Park (Oswaldtwistle) • Prospects Environmental Business Park Major Town/Gateway Employment Sites: (Church) • Weavers Triangle (Burnley) • Brierfield Mills (Pendle) • Pennine Gateway (Blackburn) • West Craven Business Park (Pendle) • Rawtenstall Town Centre (Rossendale) • Primrose Mill (Clitheroe) • New Hall Hey (Rossendale) • Clitheroe Town Centre • Rising Bridge Office Park (Haslingden) Strategic Business Parks: • Futures Park (completion of) (Bacup) • Lantern Park, Whitebirk (Hyndburn, but adjacent to Blackburn town) • Burnley Bridge (Burnley) • Michelin (Burnley) • Huncoat Power Station (Hyndburn) • Junction 7 Business Park (Hyndburn) • Riverside Business Park (Pendle) • Barrow Brook Business Park (Ribble Valley)

Rebalancing the Housing Market

7. Pennine Lancashire’s housing market is dominated by pre-1919 terraced properties that comprise almost 50% of the total stock, and 12.8% of the sub-region’s housing stock is deemed unfit. The housing stock fails to meet the needs of families. Larger detached family and “executive” housing is under provided for which restricts the area’s ability to retain and attract higher wage earners.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 2

8. A number of “strategic areas of change” have been identified as focuses for housing development. In very broad terms these can be categorised as growth areas i.e. providing homes for higher wage earners in more attractive locations to support economic growth, or renewal areas i.e. diversifying the offer and rebalancing the market in inner urban areas, or possibly as a mixture of the two 1.

Rebalancing the Housing Market – Key Spatial Interventions Areas of focus for housing to support growth: Areas of focus for renewal in inner urban • Northern Outer Area of Blackburn areas : • SW Outer Area of Blackburn • Inner Blackburn • Haslingden Road Corridor (Blackburn) • Burnley Weavers’ Triangle • East Darwen • Burnley Wood (Burnley) • Spinning Jenny Park Oswaldtwistle – mixed use • South West Burnley development (Hyndburn) • Daneshouse, Duke Bar and Stoneyholme • Huncoat (Colliery Site) (Burnley) • Locations around M65 Junction 14 (Pendle) • Darwen Town Centre and Inner Urban Area • West Craven towns (Pendle) • Accrington and the Town Centre (Hyndburn) • Rawtenstall (Rossendale) • Bacup (Rossendale) • Cowpe (Rossendale) • Whitworth (Rossendale) Areas of change for both renewal and growth: • M65 Junction 12 – Brierfield area (Pendle) • M65 Junction 13 – Nelson and Barrowford (Pendle) • Haslingden (Rossendale) • Rishton – Clayton-Le-Moors Canal Corridor

Accessibility and Connectivity

9. In order to realise its economic potential, Pennine Lancashire needs to improve transport connections with neighbouring city regions, as well as ensuring that employment opportunities, facilities and services within the sub-region are accessible to everyone living here and can be reached by sustainable travel modes. A number of transport schemes have been identified to improve accessibility and connectivity.

10. In addition to enhancing transport connections, improving digital connectivity is a key priority for Pennine Lancashire. Central to this is achieving the widespread take-up and use of Next Generation Access (NGA) (high speed) broadband by all in the sub- region. Achieving 100% coverage will require public sector investment but will result in significant social and economic benefits for residents and businesses.

Accessibility and Connectivity – Key Spatial Interventions Improving connectivity within Pennine Lancashire: • Pennine Reach Quality Bus Scheme • M65 Congestion Measures

Improving links with Greater Manchester: • Reinstatement of Todmorden Curve to provide direct rail services from Burnley to Manchester. • Improvements to Clitheroe – Manchester rail link • Establishment of commuter service on East Lancashire Railway to provide a service from Rawtenstall to Manchester

1 Ribble Valley is not currently in a position to identify broad areas for housing development as these will emerge through consultation on its Local Development Framework.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 3 Improving links with Yorkshire: • A56 Villages Bypass • Reinstatement of Colne-Skipton Railway

Green Infrastructure

11. Pennine Lancashire is fortunate to possess a highly attractive natural environment, including the open countryside it is set within, and the open spaces within the towns. Together these form the area’s “green infrastructure” – networks of spaces including formal parks, gardens, woodlands, green corridors, waterways, street trees and open countryside.

12. The Pennine Lancashire authorities will work together to ensure that the potential of the area’s green infrastructure to attract people and businesses to the area is realised, whilst at the same time protecting and enhancing special habitats and managing resources sustainably.

13. The recreational potential of Pennine Lancashire’s landscape setting will also be further enhanced, with the Adrenaline Gateway and Panopticon Trail demonstrating how this can be achieved. Promoting Pennine Lancashire’s Green Infrastructure for recreation will also help tackle some of the other issues facing the sub-region, particularly raising health and fitness levels, and sustaining the rural economy.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 4 Pennine Lancashire: A Spatial Guide

Page Context:

1. Introduction 6

2. A Snapshot of Pennine Lancashire 8

3. Pennine Lancashire Strategic Context and Priorities 17

The Spatial Framework:

4. Economic Regeneration 21

5. Rebalancing the Housing Market 25

6. Accessibility and Connectivity 31

7. High Quality Environment 36

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 5 1. Introduction

“Drive forty minutes north of Manchester and discover a place of stunning landscapes, thriving towns, adrenaline sports, delicious food and drink, local traditions and genuinely welcoming people .” www.penninelancashire.com

1.1 Pennine Lancashire comprises of a rich array of towns and villages which are set within the stunning Pennine landscape and share a proud industrial heritage. Pennine Lancashire was at the forefront of the industrial revolution and whilst much of the physical fabric of that period still remains, providing the sub-region with a rich built heritage, the decline of the industrial era has left a legacy in the area resulting in a number of major social and economic challenges to be tackled. Many of these cut across local authority boundaries and need to be addressed in a joined-up fashion across the sub-region if lasting change is to be achieved. A key milestone in establishing this sub-regional approach was the signing of the Pennine Lancashire Multi-Area Agreement (MAA) in 2009. The MAA has as its vision:

”to provide a confident, dynamic and growing economy, characterised by a thriving higher value business base, supported by a responsive education and training system. To develop an area with fast and reliable transport links to employment opportunities underpinned by a revitalised housing market and cohesive communities” 2.

1.2 The MAA consists of seven interrelated strands:

• Funding • Transport • Skills – Higher Education • Worklessness • Economic Development (Jobs/Digital Connectivity/Culture) • Spatial Planning • Strategic Housing

1.3 A series of specific actions are set out under each of these strands, which will involve engagement from Pennine Lancashire partners and Government to secure their delivery, and this guide specifically focuses on those actions with a spatial element.

The Aim of the Spatial Guide

1.4 The Spatial Guide aims to support the joined-up sub-regional approach by:

• Setting out a spatial interpretation of other strategies in Pennine Lancashire, most notably the MAA, focusing on the area’s geography and the roles of places, and setting key strategic priorities in their sub-regional context;

• Complementing the economic focus of the MAA by considering sub-regional environmental issues;

• Providing a framework for future activity in the sub-region, including the development of individual authorities’ Local Development Framework Core Strategies and other Development Plan Documents.

2 From the vision of the Pennine Lancashire Multi Area Agreement.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 6 1.5 The Guide aims to achieve this by focusing on the issues where a joined-up or consistent approach is needed across Pennine Lancashire. The Guide seeks to secure interventions that are in the common good for the sub-region overall, and in producing this Guide, the credibility of Pennine Lancashire will be enhanced in taking a genuinely sub-regional view.

1.6 Notwithstanding the policy vacuum which will be left by the intended revocation of the Regional Spatial Strategy through the forthcoming Localism Act, the Guide is not intended to be a comprehensive strategic spatial planning document.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 7 2. A Spatial Snapshot of Pennine Lancashire

Pennine Lancashire: A Geography

Relationship to the rest of the North West

2.1. Pennine Lancashire comprises the Boroughs of Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Burnley, Ribble Valley, Pendle and Rossendale. Covering an area of over 120,000ha the sub-region is located in the North West of England, and Dunsop Bridge in the Ribble Valley, lays claim to being the geographical centre of the British Isles. Pennine Lancashire lies to the east of Central Lancashire, directly to the north of the Manchester City Region and to the west of the Leeds City Region.

Figure 2.1: Pennine Lancashire in the North West

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 8 2.2. Pennine Lancashire is linked to other city regions and to national transport networks by a number of key routes. The sub-region is well connected to the city of Preston and the wider Central Lancashire area to the west by road and rail, enabling commuting between the two areas. The M65 motorway forms a corridor linking most of the towns in Pennine Lancashire: Colne, Nelson, Burnley / Padiham, Accrington and Blackburn / Darwen, and connects Pennine Lancashire to Preston and the national motorway network. The A59 is also an important route, linking the Ribble Valley and Blackburn (via the A677) with the major employment site at BAe Samlesbury, then slightly further west junction 31 of the M6, and then on to the city of Preston. The east west rail line runs alongside the M65 and connects 15 stations in Pennine Lancashire directly with Preston and onto Blackpool. Preston railway station is situated on the West Coast Mainline and acts as a major rail hub in the region providing services to a wide range of destinations. Pennine Lancashire’s proximity to Preston therefore provides convenient access by road and rail to the city itself and the national transport connections it provides.

2.3. Pennine Lancashire is linked to Yorkshire from Colne to the east by the A56 / A59 running towards Skipton, Harrogate and York / the A1; and by the A6068 towards Bradford and Leeds. The east west rail line that runs through Pennine Lancashire connects the sub-region with Yorkshire (via Burnley), providing a direct service to Bradford, Leeds and York stations.

2.4. The main links to Greater Manchester are the A56(T) / M66 from J8 of the M65 through Haslingden, the M61 to the west of the Blackburn, and to a lesser extent the A666 from Darwen. Running in a north south direction the Clitheroe-Manchester rail line provides a direct service to Manchester passing through Blackburn and Darwen. These routes offer commuting opportunities both within Pennine Lancashire and to surrounding areas.

2.5. Notwithstanding the existence of these links, Pennine Lancashire has become relatively isolated, both physically and economically, from the rest of the region. The MAA refers to the recent Centre for Cities (2008) report which concluded that poor commuter transport networks and weak trade links are stopping wealth spilling over from Pennine Lancashire’s neighbouring economically successful City Regions. It is clear that without improved transport links, amongst other interventions, the productivity and wealth gap between Pennine Lancashire, other parts of Lancashire, the North West and the rest of the country will continue to widen. Addressing this issue, alongside improving the skills levels of residents is fundamental in bringing about transformational change in the sub-region.

2.6. Whilst road connections to the Manchester City Region are currently adequate, albeit heavily congested in parts, rail connectivity is poor. There is currently no direct rail service between Burnley and Manchester, with a change required either at Hebden Bridge or Blackburn, which increases journey times. The reinstatement of the Todmorden Curve would offer significant opportunities for greater connectivity between Pennine Lancashire and Manchester, by significantly reducing journey times. The rail service connecting Clitheroe with Manchester Victoria via Blackburn and Bolton is also in need of improvements. The service currently suffers from overcrowding and capacity is limited by signalling capacity, platform lengths, line speed restrictions and stretches of single track between Blackburn and Bolton. Rossendale is currently linked via the East Lancashire Railway, which runs vintage trains, to Bury and Heywood. Working with the AGMA authorities, Transport for Greater Manchester as well as Bury and Rochdale Councils and Lancashire County Council, it is an objective (as identified in Rossendale’s Core Strategy) to run a commuter service along this track to link with the main line and enable direct rail journeys for commuters from Rawtenstall Station to Manchester Victoria via stations at Bury and Heywood. The Local Transport Plan (LTP3) for Greater Manchester identifies examining the business case for this.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 9

2.7. Buses also form an important part of the public transport network. The urban areas are generally well served, and there is an extensive network of Quality Bus Corridors. An express bus service operates from Colne through Burnley and Rawtenstall and along the M66 to Manchester; and there is a service from Accrington through the main Rossendale towns to Rochdale. However, these routes are often slow, affected by congestion, and not always direct.

2.8. Connectivity with Yorkshire and the Leeds City Region is also in need of improvements. Road links to Yorkshire are poor beyond Colne where the M65 terminates, and this restricts trade between the two areas. Improved road links, such as the proposed A56 Bypass have the scope to significantly reduce journey times by road between Pennine Lancashire and the Leeds City Region. A relatively poor trans Pennine road link (which is single carriageway with steep gradients, though served by a bus route) also connects Bacup with the West Yorkshire town of Todmorden, which has a frequent rail service both to the West Yorkshire cities of Bradford and Leeds as well as to Manchester.

2.9. Whilst the development of the M65 has made a significant positive difference to the economy of Pennine Lancashire, it is important that improvements are undertaken where necessary. There are issues relating to acute congestion hotspots on the motorway, in addition to overall capacity constraints. Similarly the M66 (which is outside the sub-region, but inextricably linked) is also congested and work is being undertaken to reduce congestion, looking at alternatives such as the Rawtenstall to Manchester Commuter rail link, better bus priority, hard shoulder running etc to reduce congestion hotspots.

2.10. In addition to improving physical connectivity through transportation initiatives, there is also a need for digital connectivity across the sub-region to be improved in order to support economic growth. Currently there are areas of Pennine Lancashire that do not have access to broadband, and in numerous other places the connection speeds are insufficient to effectively support high value business activities. High speed broadband connectivity is essential in today’s economy, and Pennine Lancashire’s current inadequate provision is constraining its ability to capitalise on economic opportunities outside of the sub-region, such as MediaCityUK in Salford, as well as making conditions generally more difficult for businesses and home working within the area. High speed broadband is currently provided in the region by either BT or Virgin Media, and only a small geographical area is covered by both providers. This means that there is currently limited competition between providers in order to provide better value and more efficient services.

Physical Setting: The “Green City”

2.11. Pennine Lancashire sits amongst a diverse and distinctive range of high quality landscape types, from the upland moorland of the Southern Pennines, to the broad Calder and Pendle Water valleys which are home to the towns on the M65 Corridor. Further north lies the undulating rolling landscape of the Bowland Fringe and Pendle Hill, which transitions into the large sweeping landform of the Bowland Fells. The high quality of Pennine Lancashire’s landscape setting is recognised in the north of Pennine Lancashire being designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The polycentric nature of the sub-region, with the towns set amongst countryside, facilitates attractive views of the surrounding landscapes from many of the town centres.

2.12. Pennine Lancashire’s special landscape setting offers significant opportunities for outdoor recreation and tourism and in addition to the opportunities provided by the countryside areas, the towns also benefit from having high quality parks and open

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 10 spaces. There are good linkages between urban areas provided by the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and a variety of footpaths, bridleways, cycleways, roads and railways. All of these components contribute towards the sub-region’s green infrastructure and by developing and enhancing these components and their linkages, the environment can help attract people and businesses into the area, further develop the area’s visitor economy, and have positive health impacts through the promotion of recreation. Pennine Lancashire has the opportunity to further enhance its green infrastructure network for recreational purposes, by enhancing key assets such as the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, the Pennine Bridleway, disused railways, former quarries (e.g. Adrenaline Gateway), reservoirs and national cycle routes, as well as considering new routes.

2.13. Green infrastructure can address many of the objectives identified needed to improve quality of life, quality of place and quality of the environment. These three factors combine to make places more liveable and these elements will be taken forward by Pennine Lancashire authorities through their planning processes.

Climate Change and Renewable Energy

2.14. Climate change represents a considerable challenge to the future of Pennine Lancashire. Increases in temperature and changes in rainfall patterns could adversely affect sensitive habitats in Bowland and the West Pennine Moors as well as increase the risks to property associated with flooding.

2.15. Ribble Valley has the highest CO 2 emissions of any authority in Lancashire, due primarily to the presence of the Castle Cement works. Blackburn with Darwen is second highest with significant industrial emissions. With the exception of Blackburn with Darwen domestic CO 2 emissions are also rising.

2.16. Pennine Lancashire is an area with significant potential for renewable energy, particularly wind power although photovoltaics could also contribute in appropriate locations. This is due to consistently high windspeeds and large areas of upland. A number of windfarms already exist with Scout Moor in Rossendale currently being the largest on-shore windfarm in England. Planning permission has also been granted for a major wind farm on Oswaldtwistle Moor in Hyndburn and this is expected to be developed in the near future.

2.17. New renewable energy development in Pennine Lancashire to support economic transformation will increase the pressure on its valuable landscapes. Apart from the Forest of Bowland AONB none of the Pennine Lancashire uplands are formally designated as being of landscape value. However the inter-relationship between urbanised valleys and open hillsides is a defining characteristic of the area. Wind turbines add a new dimension to this as well as altering the remoteness of long distance views when looked at from open moorland. Introduction of turbines into the upland landscape has resulted in a polarisation of public opinion. It is crucial that the Pennine Lancashire authorities gain a thorough understanding of the capacity of the sub-region’s various landscapes to support renewable energy schemes such as windfarms. Detailed landscape assessment work has been undertaken for parts of the sub-region (Rossendale and Burnley) through the Windfarm study (2010).

2.18. As well as wind energy further work is being undertaken on the potential of other forms of renewable energy including hydropower and biomass. Authorities will use this information to encourage innovative schemes in suitable locations to be delivered through the planning process.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 11 Patterns of development and the roles of places

2.19. Unlike its neighbours, Pennine Lancashire as a sub-region does not have one clear dominant centre, but comprises of a rich array of various settlements, all with important and complementary roles to play in ensuring the sustainable future of the area. The sub-region’s towns and villages are set amongst the attractive countryside of the South Pennines, flanked to the north by the Ribble Valley and the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, to the south by the West Pennine Moors, and a little further to the east, the Yorkshire Dales. Many towns enjoy attractive views of the surrounding countryside and are within easy reach of it, and it is this ‘towns in countryside’ aspect that makes Pennine Lancashire so special and is a valuable asset for the area’s future.

Figure 2.2: Pennine Lancashire ‘Towns in Countryside’

2.20. Pennine Lancashire’s landscapes and townscapes tell the story of its industrial past. The Leeds-Liverpool Canal winds its way through the area, providing a once vital link between numerous towns that punctuate the varied landscape. The towns are typically characterised by town centres surrounded by densely packed grid iron terraced streets, former mill buildings and weaving sheds. Most of the towns have pockets of larger Victorian properties on arterial routes or overlooking parks. More recent development, in the form of large scale private post-war development and local authority housing, has tended to be towards the edges of the towns. This urban geography presents both a major challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is to address physical, social and economic decay in the inner areas arising from poor quality housing and an unbalanced housing market dominated by a single house type. The opportunity is to build on the strengths of the area in the form of attractive and characterful urban environments in sustainable locations, the physical setting of the towns in a green environment, and the relative proximity of Pennine Lancashire to other economic centres.

2.21. The main exceptions to this pattern are the Ribble Valley, which is characterised by large swathes of open countryside and towns with a “market town” character, and Rossendale, whose settlements face similar challenges; with streets of dense terraced housing but whose setting in steep-sided valleys has tended to constrain the development of “suburbs” and whose proximity and links to Manchester has created stronger commuting patterns than are currently found elsewhere in Pennine Lancashire.

2.22. The polycentric geography of Pennine Lancashire means that it is important to understand the roles of the different towns that make up the area. In many respects, it

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 12 is recognised that each of the towns performs a similar fundamental role, providing a significant proportion of its own local employment (particularly in lower-skilled jobs where travel to work distances tend to be very short), and acting as the focus for shopping and services for its own residents and those of its immediate hinterland. There will continue to be a need to reinforce these fundamental roles through appropriate investment and development. This Guide focuses mainly on the things that distinguish particular places and particular opportunities that exist.

2.23. At a macro-scale, Pennine Lancashire is served by two main urban centres : Blackburn and Burnley. These are the largest towns and are at the hubs of various transport routes: in Blackburn’s case the direct rail link to Manchester, and at Burnley the Transpennine rail link to West Yorkshire. Both centres provide a range of relatively high-order shopping, and are the focus of other high-order services notably higher education, hospitals, and courts. Both are major providers of employment at locations including Whitebirk, Shadsworth, Walker Park and Network 65, all of which serve the wider Pennine Lancashire area, as well as in their town centres. Of the two Blackburn is the larger, with a population of 105,085 versus 73,021(Census 2001: Blackburn and Burnley urban areas) and in some respects acts as the main centre for the whole of Pennine Lancashire. It is also the closest centre in Pennine Lancashire to Preston and the M6, and acts as the interface between Pennine Lancashire and “Greater Preston”. For many other purposes though the two towns’ respective roles are as the main urban centres for either end of the M65 corridor: Blackburn in the west and Burnley in the east.

2.24. Accrington (and townships including Oswaldtwistle, Huncoat and Clayton Le Moors), Nelson, Colne, Padiham and Darwen all sit close to or on the M65 corridor . Their principal roles are as local centres. Their more specific roles are principally driven by their geographical location. Colne has developed a cultural and night time economy, and has developed a retail function that attracts customers from across the region. Barnoldswick is the conduit between Lancashire and Yorkshire, and is a major anchor in the aerospace industry. Nelson is also well served by the Lomeshaye industrial Estate. Padiham and Darwen are either on the edge of Pennine Lancashire (Darwen and Colne) or of the M65 corridor (Padiham), and hence play a role as the interface with the adjoining area. Colne looks to a degree towards North and West Yorkshire, and acts as a commuting base for people working in those areas. By virtue of its position on the rail route, Darwen serves as a base for commuting towards Manchester. Padiham is close to Read and Simonstone which form a gateway to the Ribble Valley. Accrington is adjacent to the A56 link road which connects to the M66 and thence to Manchester.

2.25. Each of these towns has been the focus of significant “business park” employment investment in recent years. Most of these sites have grown around motorway junctions, though are also relatively close to the towns’ urban areas. There is however an uneven relationship between these business parks and the actual towns: although significant numbers of people in each town will work in these areas, employees and users of the parks typically rarely visit the town centres during the working day. Hence while each of the towns as a whole might be seen as playing a relatively strong economic role, the benefits of this do not extend to all parts of the town. While there is a continuing need to enable people to benefit from employment at business parks, there is also a need to ensure that economic investment is “captured” for the benefit of the towns as a whole.

2.26. Rossendale (consisting of Rawtenstall, Haslingden and Bacup, with the smaller settlements of Whitworth, Waterfoot and Edenfield) shares many of the same issues as the rest of Pennine Lancashire, and the eastern part of the Borough (including Bacup, Stacksteads and Britannia) formed part of the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder. However, the consensus here has been to retain the terraced houses and improve their attractiveness and energy efficiency. Rawtenstall acts as the key retail

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 13 centre, being the most centrally located town with the best transport links, and Bacup and Haslingden have supporting local roles as district centres. Rossendale is geographically separated from the M65 corridor by a range of hills, and in some senses has stronger connections to Greater Manchester (via the A56(T)/M66). There is significant commuting from the area into Greater Manchester, particularly from Rawtenstall which is the closest town to Manchester. The area has significant potential for this role to be developed further. To some extent Rossendale can be seen in general terms as being affluent in the west (though with small pockets of deprivation), and more deprived, with a perception of isolation, in the east. Rossendale’s towns, particularly Rawtenstall, but also Whitworth, can and do, act as a gateway into Pennine Lancashire from the Manchester City Region.

2.27. The dominant place in the Ribble Valley is Clitheroe. It functions as the service centre for much of the Ribble Valley area, and also plays a very significant tourism role. The Ribble Valley in general also provides a large amount of upper market housing occupied by people who commute throughout the North West. Home working is also of significant importance and is dependent on high speed broadband coverage.

2.28. The remainder of Pennine Lancashire’s towns principally function as local service centres. Great Harwood and Rishton in Hyndburn, Whalley and Longridge in the Ribble Valley and Barnoldswick in Pendle, although Barnoldswick is also of sub- regional importance for its key role in the aerospace industry. These principally function as “market towns”, though their character and relationship to larger centres has also attracted better-off residents who tend to commute throughout the region.

The Role of Culture

2.29. The role of culture in defining and enhancing the “offer” of a place is well understood. In Pennine Lancashire, a significant body of research has been carried out, principally by Living Places and the University of Liverpool, into both the range of facilities across the area and levels of participation by residents.

2.30. The main conclusions of the research have been firstly that the area has a large number of facilities and events, including some of regional and sub-regional importance. These are distributed throughout the area, and include traditional facilities such as theatres and museums, and others linked more directly to the area’s characteristics such as features and trails in the countryside. The scale of provision is typically in line with the overall roles of places already identified, and is largely a consequence, rather than a driver, of those roles. The second conclusion is that levels of participation in culture among Pennine Lancashire’s residents are low; and the area lacks a coherent marketing and branding strategy for its cultural offer. As a result, culture is not making the contribution that it should towards transforming the area’s image and economy.

2.31. Given the conclusion that the main issue is quality and marketing of facilities rather than levels of provision, the main interventions required to address this are outside the remit of this Guide. Nevertheless, spatial planning in Pennine Lancashire will continue to consider opportunities to enhance the area’s offer, and to recognise the complementary role played by other activity in raising the standard of provision. Complementary facilities should also be considered, such as overnight accommodation, cycle storage etc. For example, heritage tourism and active sports recreation, which are located in areas relatively close to the main northern conurbations of the Manchester and Leeds City Regions, are key opportunities that Pennine Lancashire can exploit to diversify the economy of the sub-region.

Wider Context: Key Headlines

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 14 Pennine Lancashire’s Population

2.32. The population of Pennine Lancashire is expected to grow from 522,400 in 2006 to 536,000 in 2026. The population has been steadily increasing since the early 1990’s, following a significant level of population decline followed by a smaller recovery in the early 1980’s. Growth within the region has not been uniform, ranging from 10% growth within Ribble Valley to a 5% decline in Burnley, giving rise to significant pressure for development in some areas and decline and vacant properties in others 3. Population growth in the sub-region is underpinned by a growth in the resident population (births exceeding deaths) as opposed to economic migration.

Pennine Lancashire’s Economy

2.33. Pennine Lancashire contributes £6.1bn out of a total of £22.5bn to the Lancashire economy, and employs 196,500 people. 4 The area remains a strong manufacturing sub-region with this sector still accounting for 25% of total employment. Since its heyday as a key driver of the industrial boom of the 19 th and early 20 th centuries, the area has experienced continued decline of its staple industries but has also seen a period of tremendous economic diversification. Aerospace, advanced manufacturing, advanced flexible materials, digital and creative industries all feature strongly in the area’s economy and are nationally important. Numerous high profile employers in the aerospace sector are located within Pennine Lancashire including BAe Systems in Ribble Valley/South Ribble and Aircelle in Burnley. Pendle also exhibits particular strengths in the aerospace and advanced engineering sector, being home to a number of highly regarded companies including Rolls Royce, Euravia and Weston EU. In addition the North West Aerospace Alliance (a business led support agency) is based in Nelson which signifies the importance of the aerospace sector to the area.

2.34. Despite these strengths, the key economic indicators for Pennine Lancashire show that the area is underperforming. This is mostly relative to the adjoining City Regions and the country as a whole, but in some parts absolute decline is occurring. Pennine Lancashire’s GVA per head is around £4,000 less than nationally, demonstrating a significant output gap between the sub-region and national levels.

2.35. Multiple deprivation is widespread across Pennine Lancashire with over 35% of the sub-region’s residents living in areas ranked among the 20% most deprived nationally. Levels of deprivation across the sub-region are uneven, with Ribble Valley being the only authority to contain areas ranked within the 10% least deprived nationally, whilst over half of Blackburn with Darwen residents live in areas ranked amongst the 20% most deprived nationally.

2.36. There is a strong association between health and the economy and generally poor levels of health in the sub-region contribute significantly to the higher than average levels of economic inactivity. Therefore in addressing economic inclusion it is important that an integrated approach is adopted which tackles related issues such as health and other barriers to work, such as poor skills and qualifications levels.

Pennine Lancashire’s Housing Market

2.37. Pennine Lancashire’s strong industrial heritage has left its mark on the area’s housing offer. The key housing issues facing Pennine Lancashire stem from the dominance of pre 1919 terraced properties which constitute almost 50% of the total stock, compared to 26% nationally. A significant proportion of this older housing is in poor repair and

3 Information on population derived from “Housing and the Economy: The Pennine Lancashire Market in 2007” by EKOS on behalf of Regenerate Pennine Lancashire. 4 Source: ONS Annual Business Survey (2009)

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 15 contributes to the fact that 12.8% of housing in Pennine Lancashire is deemed unfit, compared to 4.2% for England. The dominance of terraced housing raises a number of issues for Pennine Lancashire. Firstly, much of the terraced stock is two-bedroom and therefore fails to meet the needs of families, particularly in BME communities where families tend to be larger. This type of housing also tends to be harder to insulate and make more fuel efficient so exacerbating the problems of fuel poverty experienced by many residents. Also, as a result of the high proportion of terraced stock, larger detached family and ‘executive’ housing is under-provided for, which affects the sub-region’s ability to retain and attract families and highly skilled employees.

2.38. To address the imbalance in the housing market the local authorities have worked with Regenerate Pennine Lancashire to develop the Pennine Lancashire Housing Strategy and the Market Progression Model. Significant work has already been undertaken under the Housing Market Renewal programme to tackle areas of market weakness and low demand. Working in partnership with the Regenerate Pennine Lancashire HMR Pathfinder, the local authorities have implemented a strategic programme of selective acquisition and demolition, refurbishment, environmental improvements and support for neighbourhoods through neighbourhood management and better management of the private rented stock.

2.39. The Local Development Frameworks for the Pennine Lancashire authorities will seek to put in place the right planning framework to ensure that the houses developed over the next 15 years reflect the needs of their housing market areas and meet the objectives of the Pennine Lancashire Housing Strategy.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 16 3. Pennine Lancashire Strategic Context and Priorities

Strategic Context

3.1 A range of documents have been produced at a sub-regional level that set out the priorities and overall strategy for Pennine Lancashire and these set the strategic context for this Spatial Guide:

• Pennine Lancashire Multi Area Agreement • Pennine Lancashire Integrated Economic Strategy (appended to MAA) • Pennine Lancashire Housing Strategy

MAA SPATIAL GUIDE Local Development Frameworks

PL Integrated PL Housing Strategy Economic Strategy

Potentially a future PL Integrated Strategy

Investment Framework

Figure 3.1: Strategic Context

Pennine Lancashire Multi Area Agreement

3.2 The MAA is an agreement between Pennine Lancashire partners and Government to deliver a series of actions, designed to uplift the area’s economy, and forms a basis for coordinated conversation between partners. It was signed by Government in January 2009 and builds upon a tradition of partnership working to provide a clear articulation of the priorities and interventions required to secure the economic transformation of the sub-region. The various actions are grouped under seven interrelated strands consisting of Funding, Transport, Skills, Worklessness, Economic Development, Spatial Planning and Strategic Housing.

3.3 The MAA confirms that the Pennine Lancashire authorities possess a shared vision and ambitions for the transformation of the sub-region, and it states their commitment to effective cross boundary working to secure this change. The MAA has an important role to play in providing a coherent, strategic sub-regional approach to economic transformation.

Pennine Lancashire Integrated Economic Strategy

3.4 The Integrated Economic Strategy is appended to the MAA and is designed to address Pennine Lancashire’s economic underperformance and to exploit the area’s strength and potential. It identifies and recommends a series of strategic interventions to the

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 17 area’s leaders and their partners which are designed to fundamentally improve the area’s economy. These interventions are arranged under a series of key strategy and policy areas:

Productive and Competitive Businesses o Developing an enterprise culture o Promoting growth sectors o Encouraging innovation o Growing the knowledge economy Skills and Training o Raising attainment at all levels o Investing in higher level skills o Addressing the graduate deficit Economic Inclusion and Increasing Participation o Addressing worklessness o A healthy workforce Regional Connectivity and Influence o Promoting a skilled and mobile workforce o Investing in transport infrastructure o Delivering quality of place o Improving image and perceptions Investing in the Future o Raising confidence and encouraging investment o Reorganising delivery and procuring resources o Strengthening regional partnerships and influence o Securing sustainable economic growth

3.5 The MAA and Economic Strategy recognise the importance of improving connectivity with neighbouring metropolitan and city areas as well as the need for the sub-region to be able to provide high quality housing and an attractive environment for those who live here at the moment and those who may choose to live here in the future. The planning system therefore has a key role to play in the implementation of this strategy.

Pennine Lancashire Housing Strategy

3.6 The Pennine Lancashire Housing Strategy presents a vision for a balanced and accessible housing market which will support the economic and social wellbeing of the people of Pennine Lancashire. It recognises the need to balance investment in existing housing stock with the provision of new high quality stock in order to support economic growth, and has three cross cutting objectives that are linked with the Pennine Lancashire Integrated Economic Strategy and the Sustainable Community Strategies of each partner local authority:

Objective 1 : To ensure a sufficient quantity, quality, and appropriate type of housing supply, to meet the economic growth aspirations and social needs of Pennine Lancashire.

Objective 2 : To develop sustainable neighbourhoods that can retain and attract successful households, reducing the disparities between neighbourhoods and providing linkages to economic growth and employment opportunities; improving the economic performance of the sub-region.

Objective 3 : To meet the housing, health and support needs of residents and vulnerable people; promoting better services, with greater choice and accessibility, that are fully integrated into local communities.

3.7 A key component of the Housing Strategy is the Market Progression Model, which is a market-led modelling tool that assists in the targeting of investment to stimulate and rebalance the market. The MPM promotes housing growth, economic competitiveness

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 18 and inclusion to achieve a balanced housing market and makes the market the principal determinant of how public sector resources are used. The Housing Strategy recognises that a number of sub-markets operate within Pennine Lancashire and also categorises the area into the three main areas as in this Guide, each with slightly different issues and challenges.

Priorities for the Sub-Region

3.8 The suite of documents referred to above sets out the strategic priorities for the sub- region across a number of different thematic areas, and this guide seeks to articulate the spatial interventions which are necessary to deliver them. For the purposes of this Guide the priorities and interventions set out in various sub-regional strategic documents have been grouped into the following four themes, which form the structure for the following chapters of this document.

Economic Regeneration

• improving productivity and competitiveness • improving skills levels and training • increasing economic inclusion • improving regional connectivity • investing in the future

Rebalancing the Housing Market

• rebalancing the market through the provision of new housing • improving access to affordable homes • improving stock conditions across all tenures • creating sustainable and mixed use neighbourhoods

Accessibility and Connectivity

• providing the required infrastructure to support economic growth • improving connectivity with neighbouring sub-regions • improving the sustainability of transport to reduce carbon emissions • improving accessibility for everyone in society to access services and facilities • tackling the negative impacts of mobility by reducing accidents, promoting physical activity and improving air quality • managing movement to support improved quality of life in towns through tacking noise, poor air quality, reducing severance and creating liveable communities

High Quality Environment – Green Infrastructure

• protecting and enhancing Pennine Lancashire’s Green Infrastructure and unique landscape setting • managing resources sustainably • maintaining biodiversity • enhancing the recreational potential of the natural environment • promoting the sub-region more effectively at a regional level

3.9 Clearly the guide is not seeking to address all of these priorities, but focuses on those with a spatial element. Whilst the guide is structured according to the four theme areas, it also recognises the interrelationships between themes and the need for an integrated approach to delivering projects in order to achieve maximum benefit. This joined up and integrated approach is central to delivering transformational change.

Sub-Regional Strategic Approach to Investment Planning

3.10 Pennine Lancashire has a strong basis for planning for investment at a sub-regional scale, with a Joint Investment Plan and Local Investment Agreement signed with the NWDA and HCA respectively in March 2010. This Spatial Guide will support continuing investment planning work, including the Local Investment Plan, by clearly

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 19 articulating key spatial interventions and their significance in the Pennine Lancashire context. In an era of restricted public finances it is crucial that the sub-region clearly demonstrates its priorities for investment and the Guide plays a crucial role in this.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 20 4. Economic Regeneration

Strategic Spatial Interventions

Enhance the portfolio of employment sites

4.1 A principal strategic spatial intervention required to enhance Pennine Lancashire’s competitiveness and close the GVA gap between here and neighbouring sub-regions is to ensure that Pennine Lancashire can offer a comprehensive and varied portfolio of employment sites. A suitable supply of sites is crucial in attracting new investors and businesses to the area, as well as providing growing local businesses opportunities to relocate and expand within the sub-region, rather than being forced to leave in search of suitable accommodation elsewhere. Improving the portfolio of employment sites will complement the raft of other non-spatial interventions to support economic regeneration and create a “Total Business Environment” in the sub-region, including investment in skills and training and support for business and enterprise, which are set out in the MAA and Integrated Economic Strategy.

4.2 The 2005 report ‘Towards a Sustainable Employment Land Strategy’ (Genecon/King Sturge) presented a series of site typologies and identified a ‘package’ of sites across the sub-region spanning across the range of typologies. At the top end of the spectrum, a select number of ‘prestige’ strategic employment sites are required to support the transition to a higher value, higher wage economy. These sites should generally be located in high profile locations with excellent access to the motorway network as well as excellent public transport links and links to urban centres. Prestige sites should be capable of attracting sub-regional, regional and national markets and therefore need to be well served by the necessary infrastructure and provide a range of business accommodation. Through ensuring an appropriate supply of this type of employment site, Pennine Lancashire should enhance its ability to attract higher value added businesses to the area, as well as providing accommodation for home grown and expanding businesses to relocate.

4.3 At the other end of the employment site spectrum, many smaller local sites continue to play an important and sustainable role in the economy of Pennine Lancashire and should be protected from redevelopment for other uses where this is the case. They are an important source of local employment, and due to their usual location within urban areas, they are generally accessible by public transport, and provide employment opportunities for residents without access to private cars. Retaining these employment sites reduces the reliance on land outside of urban boundaries for employment uses and therefore helps minimise urban sprawl, enabling more sustainable patterns of development. Support will be given to encourage the retention and expansion of existing Pennine Lancashire based businesses, as well as encouraging smaller scale hi-tech and creative industries, and other business start

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 21 ups, by providing appropriate facilities (such as incubator units). The renovation of older industrial estates will be encouraged, where they can contribute to the locality’s business requirements.

Pennine Lancashire Employment Sites

4.4 In support of the transformation of Pennine Lancashire’s economy, we have identified a series of strategic employment development sites . These are sites whose development will significantly contribute to the improvement of the overall Pennine Lancashire offer.

4.5 Blackburn and Burnley Town Centres will be a focus for knowledge-based investment offering opportunities for synergy with the Higher Education sector. In Blackburn we will bring forward the Knowledge Zone . This is a regional strategic site, and will introduce high value, knowledge based industries into a town-centre location which is at the heart of public transport networks linking with the rest of Pennine Lancashire and the wider region, and which adjoins the Blackburn College HE Campus. The project will consist of a development of modern, high quality business accommodation, supported by the necessary infrastructure including a new link road and improved digital connectivity. It will reinforce the regional standing of Blackburn and of Pennine Lancashire as a whole, and will bring spin-off benefits associated with a stronger town centre. In and around Burnley’s town centre we will bring forward the Education and Enterprise Zone , and the Weavers’ Triangle . The Education and Enterprise Zone will provide employment adjacent to the town’s new college campus which accommodates Burnley College and UCLAN. UCLAN are themselves in discussion about an incubation and enterprise centre. This development will be important in forging links between the HE sector and business enterprise. The Weavers’ Triangle will be a heritage-focused development with a variety of commercial and employment activities. Together with improvements to transport connections beyond Pennine Lancashire, public realm investment and improved digital connectivity, these projects will substantially strengthen the town centre’s offer, and further reinforce Burnley’s sub-regional role. In Rossendale, significant employment development will take place at New Hall Hey Business Park and Rossendale Town Centre, where attractive facilities will be provided at this key gateway, complemented by improved connectivity .

4.6 Also in Blackburn , we will develop the “Pennine Gateway” area. This is a main road /public transport corridor linking the M65 (Junction 6) with Blackburn Town Centre, and taking advantage of the Pennine Reach public transport route which it adjoins.

4.7 We will bring forward a series of strategic business parks , principally in towns along the M65 corridor. Some of these will be close to the motorway itself in order to accommodate users’ requirements, but opportunities will also be brought forward elsewhere. At Whitebirk between Blackburn and Accrington we will bring forward the Whitebirk Strategic Investment Site , also known as Lantern Park . This is a 35- hectare site at Junction 6 of the M65. Designated as a strategic regional site, it is Pennine Lancashire’s largest employment site and will be developed for advanced manufacturing and knowledge based activities. It will help attract new high value investment into Pennine Lancashire as well as facilitating the ongoing growth of businesses within the area. As well as having good access to the strategic road network the area is also close to deprived communities in Blackburn and will be linked to them by the Pennine Reach public transport scheme. In Burnley we will promote two major business park opportunities: Burnley Bridge – a 28-hectare brownfield site adjoining Junction 9 of the M65; and the former Michelin site . Both of these offer opportunities to develop advanced manufacturing serving both Burnley and the wider area. The Huncoat Power Station site in Hyndburn is strategically located at the junction of the M65 and the A56 route towards Manchester and will be available for high value employment investment. Also in Hyndburn we will redevelop the Junction

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 22 7 Business Park at Clayton Le Moors in order to provide modern floorspace in a location accessible by both the motorway and public transport.

4.8 In Pendle the Riverside Business Park located off junction 13 of the M65 will play a major role in economic restructuring in Pendle. This is a key site strategically located on junction 13 of the M65 and will provide B1 floorspace, significantly helping to restructure the employment base in Pendle. Through its joint venture company Pendle will also redevelop Brierfield Mills , a former general industrial complex situated close to the M65 in Brierfield. Both sites will offer significant opportunities for new business formation in Pendle. They are located close to the M65 and are accessible by a range of transport modes. In Earby the West Craven Business Park will be developed. This will link in with the proposed A56 village bypass route, a key economic driver as recognised in the MAA and Local Transport Plan.

4.9 The Barrow Brook Business Park will represent an important mixed use development on a brownfield site in the Ribble Valley.

4.10 The following sites will be central to supporting local growth objectives. They will complement other investment in regeneration and development, particularly in and around town centres, in improving the overall “offer” of Pennine Lancashire. Spinning Jenny Park, Oswaldtwistle, Prospects Environmental Business Park, Church; Primrose Mill, Clitheroe; Barrow Brook, Clitheroe; Clitheroe Town Centre; Rising Bridge Office Park, Haslingden; Futures Park, Bacup (completion of).

Longer Term Action

4.11 In addition to the sites listed and mapped above, which are key priorities for delivery, it is essential to look to the longer term and ensure that Pennine Lancashire has sufficient site opportunities to sustain economic growth well into the future. It is important to carry out preparatory work now so that we are well placed to deliver sites when needed in the future.

4.12 The MAA suggests that there is currently a lack of prestige sites in Pennine Lancashire and advocates “Whitebirk 2” as a potential location for a long term site. Any allocation for a site will obviously need to be supported by a robust evidence base, and it is therefore essential that the Pennine Lancashire authorities fully understand the future need for strategic employment sites in the sub-region, and the most suitable location for such sites.

4.13 The Pennine Lancashire authorities are therefore currently in the process of developing a brief for future work relating to this issue. Work will be split into two phases, with the first phase examining the sub-region’s current supply and its ability to deliver economic transformation. This phase of work will determine the future long term need for additional prestige sites by examining supply and engaging with the private sector to determine future requirements. It will also be taken into consideration that the supply of good quality employment land itself can generate more demand, and the aspirations for economic growth will be an important determinant of future need, rather than just calculating future demand based upon historic take up rates. If this first phase of work reveals a need for additional prestige sites in Pennine Lancashire, phase two will be commenced, which will identify a range of potential locations for such sites and assess the impact and feasibility of their development.

4.14 As previously discussed, “Whitebirk 2” was proposed in the MAA as a potential location for an additional site, however in addition to this a range of alternative locations will also need to be considered, to ensure that the most suitable location is chosen. Due to the large space requirements of prestige sites and the need for easy access to the motorway network, it is likely that a number of potential locations may be

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 23 located in Green Belt on the edge of urban areas (as is Whitebirk 2). Therefore the feasibility of changing Green Belt boundaries, in addition to assessing general landscape impact, impact on the highway network and economic impact of each site will all be important factors in determining the most suitable location(s) for additional prestige employment sites. This work will be taken forward through the Pennine Lancashire Planning Officers’ Group and will deliver Pennine Lancashire Action 13 of the MAA.

In preparing local strategies, including Local Development Frameworks, local authorities should take into account the following matters:

• LDFs should allocate strategic employment sites and in doing so, articulate how they fit into and support the overall portfolio of strategic sites in Pennine Lancashire in meeting sub-regional objectives.

• Authorities should ensure that the strategic potential of allocated sites is not diluted through the planning process e.g. by allowing warehousing units on a site earmarked for advanced manufacturing uses.

• Local authorities should consider producing development briefs or detailed policy guidance for key sites to promote the appropriate development of the site to contribute towards sub-regional objectives.

• LDFs should include policies that encourage and support a balanced portfolio of employment sites to meet existing and potential businesses’ needs.

• LDFs should include policies which recognise the importance of older existing employment sites for local employment. Policies should protect such sites for continued employment usage where appropriate, and allow for sites to be redeveloped to provide modern business facilities.

• LDFs should identify suitable land in town centres that is attractive to investors and will support financial and business sector growth.

• LDFs across Pennine Lancashire should be consistent, particularly with regards to infrastructure planning, regional connectivity and broadband provision, in order to ensure that all areas develop in a mutually beneficial way.

• LDFs should consider developing policies which facilitate the clustering of businesses belonging to the same sector, in an aim to present attractive locations for investment.

• LDFs should consider how developer contributions/community infrastructure levy resulting from employment land development could be used to improve skills and training in the area, to improve employment prospects of local people. •

Relevant MAA Actions

• Pennine Lancashire Action 13: Undertake Local Green Belt Study to facilitate release of land for strategic employment site

• Pennine Lancashire Action 16: Establish Strategic Employment Sites

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 24 5. Rebalancing the Housing Market

Strategic Spatial Interventions

Rebalance housing markets

5.1 To rebalance the housing market there is a need to accelerate the provision of new, better quality housing of a range of types and tenure, and at the same time address the problems facing neighbourhoods with low value, low demand housing.

5.2 A range of new housing sites will need to be delivered in Pennine Lancashire in order to achieve the twin objectives of regeneration and economic growth. Renewal will need to continue in inner urban neighbourhoods in order to widen the housing offer there and reduce the proportion of older terraced housing stock, a significant proportion of which is in an unfit state and fails to meet the housing needs of the local population. At the same time, in order for the sub-region’s economic growth aspirations to be realised, a number of more aspirational sites will need to be delivered. In order to meet the needs of families, and to attract higher wage earners to live in the sub-region, provision of larger family and executive style housing in attractive locations will be necessary. These sites will be central to ensuring that Pennine Lancashire can provide a housing offer that is capable of competing with neighbouring sub-regions in order to retain and attract higher wage earners to support economic growth.

Strategic Housing Sites

5.3 Strategic housing sites across the sub-region that will play a central role in achieving the aims and objectives of the Pennine Lancashire Housing Strategy have been identified 5. The overall housing “offer” of Pennine Lancashire is central to attracting investment and retaining a skilled population. Firstly we need to provide opportunities for housing growth, to bring in a scale of high quality new housing sufficient to secure a shift in the market. Secondly we need to continue to pay attention to our regeneration priorities, to take advantage of the opportunities presented by our existing housing stock and to ensure that local communities benefit from economic growth.

5 It should be noted that the strategic sites identified are at different stages in the planning process; and their inclusion in this Guide does not imply any guarantee about the future granting of planning permission.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 25 5.4 There are a number of sites across the area whose development will make a particularly significant contribution towards our housing objectives, and whose impact will be felt beyond the boundaries of one borough. These developments will typically have a “growth” or “regeneration” emphasis, but should not be seen as exclusively one or the other – each site presents a unique opportunity.

5.5 The following explains each of the strategic sites in its context. The sites are grouped into main “areas of change” in each town.

5.6 The northern outer area of Blackburn provides numerous opportunities for the development of high quality executive housing. It provides an attractive environment which is within easy reach of commuting links, particularly towards Preston and Samlesbury, as well as the countryside and facilities of the Ribble Valley. The area is also highly accessible to a range of high value employment in Blackburn itself, both in the town centre and on business parks. The area provides sites within the urban area, which will be the focus in the short to medium term, and opportunities for small scale urban extensions which are to be considered through the Blackburn with Darwen Local Development Framework. In this area the following sites are identified: Land north of Ramsgreave Drive, Blackburn; Land east of Brownhill Road, Blackburn; Land south east of Parsonage Road, Blackburn; Roe Lee Mills, Campbell Street, Blackburn; and Blackburn Golf Course Practice Ground .

5.7 The south west outer area of Blackburn provides similar opportunities for upper market housing. The area is easily accessible to the M65, and also to Blackburn Town Centre via public transport. As well as sites within the urban area there is also the potential for small scale urban extensions to be brought forward through the Local Development Framework. There are three principal potential strategic sites in this area: two urban extension sites identified in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (Sites 319 and 337); and land at Feniscliffe.

5.8 In the inner area of Blackburn a series of opportunities exist to significantly diversify the housing market by bringing forward major sites in areas traditionally dominated by terraced housing. These sites may be more challenging to deliver but are of key importance to creating a balanced market and ensuring that the housing offer does not become more polarised as growth-orientated sites are brought forward elsewhere. The main sites are: India Mill on Laburnam Road in the north of Blackburn, and the adjacent Orchard site where development has commenced but stalled; the Griffin renewal area ; and Rockcliffe Mill which is adjacent to a major redevelopment of cleared housing that is already largely completed and has altered perceptions of the area. The former Blackburn Royal Infirmary site presents a unique opportunity in a highly prominent gateway location.

5.9 The Haslingden Road Corridor in Blackburn is located to the south and east of Blackburn town centre, on an arterial route linking the town centre with major employment areas, the Royal Blackburn Hospital, and the motorway network. It provides an attractive setting which is suitable for larger family / executive housing.

5.10 In Burnley, the former Blythe’s Chemical Works is a large brownfield site in an attractive setting on the edge of the urban area. It has the potential to deliver high quality larger housing to support economic growth. It is close to major employment sites (“Network 65” and also Burnley Bridge when that is developed) and has good access to both the M65 and the A56 Manchester link road.

5.11 The Weavers’ Triangle , adjacent to Burnley Town Centre represents an opportunity for a major heritage-led mixed use development capitalising on its canal side location. It will regenerate a large area of underused land close to the Town Centre, and will create a unique residential offer in Pennine Lancashire. It is well located to benefit

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 26 from improved marketability in Burnley will be further enhanced by improvements to rail connectivity to Manchester via the Todmorden Curve.

5.12 Burnley also has three areas of major change focused around a combination of new development and refurbishment of existing stock. Burnley Wood has seen very substantial clearance which has created an opportunity for new development on a large scale which will widen choice and transform perceptions of the area. It is located close to the Weavers’ Triangle and Manchester Road railway station, and is near to the edge of the urban area with good access to Towneley Park and the open countryside. South west Burnley is well connected to the motorway network via M65 Junctions 9 and 10 and offers an opportunity to improve the offer in an area previously dominated by poor-quality housing. Daneshouse, Duke Bar and Stoneyholme are well located in relation to the town centre.

5.13 Darwen offers a major opportunity to strengthen links with Greater Manchester by virtue of its location on the direct rail route to Manchester. Further investment in this route will be essential if the potential of the area is to be fully unlocked. The key strategic area of potential growth is East Darwen , which provides a highly attractive environment capable of accommodating executive housing. There are three key strategic sites in this area: Ellison Fold , land at Pole Lane , and land adjacent to Kirkham’s Farm . These strategic growth sites will be complemented by investment in older housing areas around the town centre, aimed at improving the offer of the town as a whole. Belgrave Heights is a former mill site immediately adjacent to the town centre which is under construction and is providing family housing. The site has previously experienced difficulties in the current economic climate, but is capable of being brought forward to completion. Shorey Bank is an area to the north of the town centre with potential for an Extra Care development. Queen Street / Hindle Street is a redevelopment opportunity on a cleared site. The development of family housing here will transform the image of the area, diversifying the stock and complementing substantial investment in existing properties in the surrounding area.

5.14 In Accrington the opportunity exists to improve the housing offer to complement significant investment that has taken place in the facilities in the town in recent years. Key projects will be continuation of Project Phoenix to the west of the town; the East Accrington Housing Market Renewal Area ; and The Grange . The Spinning Jenny Park in Oswaldtwistle is a mixed use development that would include housing and a college campus integrated into a country park.

5.15 The former Huncoat Colliery provides a major development opportunity close to transport links, particularly the M65 and the A56 / M66 towards Manchester. It is also within walking distance of Huncoat railway station. It is close to the strategic employment site at M65 Junction 8. Development of this site will need to be considered alongside the former Blythe Chemicals site at Hapton in Burnley Borough.

5.16 The Leeds-Liverpool Canal corridor , running from Rishton to Clayton-Le-Moors , provides a series of opportunities to bring forward waterside development creating a distinctive offer. It will complement the redevelopment of the employment site at M65 Junction 7. The two key areas identified on this corridor are Rishton Canalside and Clayton Triangle .

5.17 In Great Harwood there is the opportunity to take advantage of the town’s character and location on the edge of the Ribble Valley to bring forward upper market housing, particularly around the town centre and to the east.

5.18 In Pendle there are four key areas of change: M65 Junctions 12, 13 and 14 ; and the West Craven towns . Junction 12 is close to Brierfield which has a need for housing renewal and opportunities for housing growth; and also to a major 40ha employment area at Lomeshaye Industrial Estate. In this area we will bring forward the Brierfield

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 27 Canal Corridor , which will provide family housing close to Brierfield Town Centre; and the Railway Street Neighbourhood site which will diversify the housing offer in an area of Nelson which is dominated by terraced stock. Both these sites also offer good opportunities to access the countryside. The Lucas site is a former factory sports ground in a highly attractive part of Pendle’s urban area. It offers a significant opportunity to bring forward executive housing.

5.19 Junction 13 provides access to Nelson and Barrowford, the latter of which has seen a dramatic strengthening of its image in the last 15 years and has become a highly desirable place to live. We will bring forward Reedyford Mill and Further Clough Head as growth opportunities in this context. Riverside Mill is in the Bradley area of Nelson and its development will diversify the area’s housing offer and complement significant investment already taking place in the existing housing offer and a range of community facilities, in a sustainable location offering good access to the town centre and main public transport routes.

5.20 Locations around Junction 14 at Colne provide opportunities to both provide for local needs and to complement the town’s role as a gateway to North and West Yorkshire. The key sites are the former railway sidings at Knotts Lane ; Bunkers Hill ; Gib Hill and South Valley – the latter in particular offering an opportunity for transformational change in an area with the potential to be a highly attractive environment. Delivery of the A56 Villages Bypass transport intervention will be essential if the potential of this area is to be maximised.

5.21 The West Craven Towns offer further potential to strengthen links with North and West Yorkshire and attract residents working in these areas. The key opportunity to take advantage of this potential is the Salterforth Shed development between Barnoldswick and Earby.

5.22 The Ribble Valley has not experienced the issues of low demand and poor house condition seen elsewhere. It does however face its own housing challenges, notably affordability. There are two key sites in this area, both forming part of mixed-use schemes: Primrose Mill in Clitheroe , and Barrow Brook Business Park. Ribble Valley has not yet determined its priority areas for housing development as its overall spatial development priorities will be determined through its Local Development Framework and will be fed into the Guide at a later date. Therefore only specific sites and not wider ‘strategic areas of change’ are shown on the Spatial Guide’s map in relation to the Ribble Valley.

5.23 In Rossendale , each of the main towns has potential for strategic change. The Core Strategy for Rossendale sets out the overall distribution of housing provision within the Borough, though does not allocate sites. Housing will be focused on Rawtenstall, supported by Bacup, Haslingden and Whitworth. Rawtenstall is centrally located between the other Rossendale towns, and has the greatest potential for connections to Manchester, with demand for housing already high. Key sites here are the Reedsholme Works ; Rossendale General Hospital ; land off Cherry Tree Lane / Lower Clowes Road ; and land between Newchurch Road and Bacup Road . Haslingden is well served by public transport. Strategic housing development is aimed primarily at meeting the needs of the local community, complemented by the regeneration of the town centre. Key sites are a multi-occupied mill shop ; Grane Road / Grane Village ; Carter Hall Park ; and Albert / Britannia Mills . In Cowpe , Kearns Mill will be brought forward, which will provide executive housing in a rural setting. In Bacup there is potential to enhance the area’s built heritage through investment at Tong Bridge & Providence Baptist Church . At Whitworth the Orama Mill site is highly accessible to the rest of Rossendale and Accrington via public transport.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 28 Improve access to affordable homes

5.24 Whilst house prices in Pennine Lancashire are £100,000 lower than the national average (2007 prices), average earnings are also significantly lower (with the exception of Ribble Valley), meaning that affordability remains a pertinent issue.

5.25 Planning policy has an important role to play in the provision of affordable housing, through ensuring an appropriate mix of housing types on development sites, and requiring contributions from developers for on or off site provision.

5.26 House prices in attractive rural areas such as Ribble Valley are substantially higher than in urban areas. This makes it very difficult for local people on low incomes to remain in the area. Mechanisms that could be used to address this, particularly in small villages not identified for development include the designation of “rural exceptions” sites or Community Land Trusts that would supply affordable housing for local needs.

Improve stock conditions across all tenures

5.27 Overall, 12.8% of properties in Pennine Lancashire are deemed as unfit, compared to 5.2% for the North West and 4.2% for England. The level of fitness varies between boroughs, with Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn and Pendle having the highest levels of unfitness in Pennine Lancashire. The issue of unfitness concerns mainly private sector properties. The Housing Market Renewal programme has gone some way to addressing this issue, but whilst not as severe, there are still significant issues of unfitness outside of intervention areas. The scope of planning policies in addressing issues of unfitness in existing dwellings may be somewhat limited, but LDFs still need to have regard to this ongoing issue.

Create sustainable and mixed use neighbourhoods

5.28 National policy advocates the creation of sustainable mixed use developments. In many areas of Pennine Lancashire, one type of housing dominates, for example older terraced properties in inner urban areas, and larger family housing in suburban locations. There is a need to diversify the housing offer to create more mixed developments with a range of house types which cater for the needs of different sections of the community. This should result in more diverse and inclusive communities. Careful consideration needs to be given to environmental sustainability in new developments, both in terms of the design of individual dwellings, and the location of developments in accessible locations which enable the utilisation of sustainable transport modes.

In preparing local strategies, including Local Development Frameworks, local authorities should take into account the following matters:

• LDFs should allocate strategic housing sites and articulate how these contribute to the achievement of sub-regional housing objectives.

• Local authorities should consider producing detailed guidance or development briefs for strategic housing sites to ensure that the development realises the strategic potential of the site.

• Local authorities should consider including policies in their LDFs that are aimed at improving the Pennine Lancashire housing offer overall i.e. housing to secure economic growth and investment.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 29 • The phasing of housing development across Pennine Lancashire will need to be coordinated by local authorities to ensure complementarity and alignment with the Pennine Lancashire Housing Strategy and Market Progression Model. LDFs should plan for new build housing that complements, rather than competes with housing in the inner urban cores.

• Affordable housing policies in LDFs should be informed by SHMAs and be consistent across Housing Market Areas in terms of the requirements placed upon developers and with regards to the threshold for affordable provision, and the quantities, size and type of affordable accommodation required.

• LDFs should consider planning policies which imaginatively address the remodelling of older terraced housing, including conversions and radical and sustainable design solutions, so that the housing offer is not solely dependent on new build.

Relevant MAA Actions

• Pennine Lancashire Action 14: Establish a Growth/Regeneration Delivery Team, which will be responsible for developing a strategic approach to housing growth and a growth point investment plan.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 30 6. Accessibility and Connectivity

Strategic Spatial Interventions

6.1 Blackburn requires interventions across a range of themes. There are high levels of congestion in parts of the town and restructuring of the central road network is necessary if the town centre is to expand. Failure to provide adequate transport infrastructure will cause regeneration initiatives to stall. There is also a need to improve connectivity to a range of employment sites, education and health facilities. There are a number of employment sites around the edge of the town that are difficult to reach by means other than the car, creating entry barriers for those without cars in the town’s most deprived neighbourhoods. Levels of car ownership are relatively low in the Borough however as regeneration initiatives take effect this could increase travel by car, it is therefore necessary to develop suitable alternative forms of public transport such as Pennine Reach.

6.2 Darwen faces challenges arising from localised congestion, particularly on the A666 corridor through the town centre. The proposed Pennine Reach quality bus service should significantly improve connectivity between Darwen and Blackburn town centre.

6.3 Like Blackburn, Accrington also has a variety of issues that need to be addressed. Although the town also suffers from relatively high levels of congestion which impacts on businesses in the town, it is highly accessible with excellent links to the A56 and Greater Manchester to the south and the M65 to the north. There are opportunities for growth in close proximity to these routes and it is important that the strategic highway network is able to accommodate future growth and does not constrain it. The Todmorden Curve improvement to the rail network provides an opportunity for the new railway station at Accrington to become a destination point. Commuting patterns are highly localised, the most significant relationship being with Blackburn. The Pennine Reach Bus scheme and proposed bus station development in Accrington Town centre will play an important part in improving accessibility within the area and to Blackburn. The X41 bus corridor to Manchester is cited by Atkins as an example of how a good quality express service can help meet travel needs.

6.4 The Pennine Lancashire towns further east – Burnley, Nelson and Colne – also have highly localised travel to work envelopes and transport policy should focus on how these can be extended in a way that provides sustainable alternatives to the car. Burnley faces particularly poor rail access and whilst it has direct links to Preston, Blackburn and Leeds, plans to improve connectivity to Manchester via the reinstatement of the Todmorden Curve would help realise economic benefits for Pennine Lancashire generally. In terms of the local transport network, measures

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 31 should be aimed at tackling the causes of deprivation and restructuring the economy. Like Blackburn, transport capacity in Burnley needs to be properly understood so that it does not constrain regeneration.

6.5 The termination of the M65 in Colne gives rise to significant delays for traffic heading towards Yorkshire and significant environmental problems in Colne itself. The study undertaken by Atkins recommends that consideration is given to a by-pass to relieve this congestion and remove traffic from the town. This would also serve to improve connectivity with Yorkshire generally, giving rise to a series of benefits.

6.6 There is a need for improved transport links between Nelson and Colne and interchange facilities in Nelson have recently been improved as a means of helping this. The potential for rail improvements to Colne is thought to be limited with greater benefits realised through the improvement of local bus services. The high quality bus services to Manchester are again cited as a success.

6.7 The Rossendale towns of Rawtenstall and Haslingden are relatively well connected to Bury and Manchester but Bacup is isolated from the rest of Lancashire, its nearest railway station being Todmorden in West Yorkshire. Work is currently underway to explore the scope for using the East Lancashire Railway to provide a commuter rail service which would connect Rawtenstall, and other stations on the ELR line to Manchester (MAA: Pennine Lancashire Action 6), whilst not affecting the operation of the popular heritage railway. This would significantly increase connectivity between the two sub-regions and would enable Pennine Lancashire to more effectively take advantage of economic growth in the Manchester City Region, as well as enabling the residents of the Manchester City Region to participate in the recreational, cultural and tourism opportunities provided within Pennine Lancashire.

6.8 In Pennine Lancashire’s rural areas the car is likely to remain the preferred choice of transport, through necessity. Reductions in the number of journeys could be sought by developing broadband connectivity to enable virtual working practices and innovative models of service delivery. Transport policy should also be geared to supporting the development of the visitor economy in rural Pennine Lancashire. The important role of Clitheroe as a transport hub should be recognised, particularly in terms of providing a direct train service to Manchester. This should link into feeder bus services.

6.9 On the basis of the existing position within Pennine Lancashire and the aspirations of the sub-region, the following transport interventions are recommended. It will be necessary to prioritise these according to strategic fit and deliverability:

Immediate priorities:

• Reinstatement of Todmorden Curve • Clitheroe – Manchester rail link • Pennine Reach Quality Bus Corridor • Pennine smarter choices scheme • East Lancashire Railway – Rawtenstall to Manchester Commuter Rail Link

Longer term priorities:

• Pennine Reach Phase 2 • A56 Colne and Earby bypass • Colne Skipton rail • M65 congestion measures • Access to Samlesbury – Pennine Reach future phase

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 32 6.10 In addition to the place specific transport interventions outlined above, there is a need for an overall approach to travel demand management across Pennine Lancashire as a whole. Whilst the above transport interventions are necessary to support economic growth, it is recognised that an approach needs to be taken to minimise the increase in road traffic associated with economic growth. Local authorities should therefore consider the range of demand management measures to mitigate the impact of the development.

6.11 The potential for conflict between economic growth and sustainable travel objectives is particularly evident with regards to the M65. This key strategic route through the heart of Pennine Lancashire connects the string of key urban centres with each other and the national motorway network, but is subject to increasing congestion. Locations adjacent to M65 junctions have proved particularly attractive for investment in higher value business accommodation, with a number of business parks and strategic sites being delivered adjacent to junctions. The Highways Agency has expressed concern with regards to the capacity of the M65 to accommodate additional large scale sites close to junctions, however this type of site, which is capable of attracting significant private sector investment is crucial to the economic growth of the sub-region. A careful balance therefore needs to be struck in terms of ensuring suitable attractive sites are delivered to generate investment and economic growth, whilst at the same time carefully mitigating the negative effects of such sites in terms of their contribution to congestion on the M65 and local road networks. Similarly the M66 which connects to the M60 is also congested and Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA) is considering measures to manage traffic on this motorway. This work, although outside the Pennine Lancashire sub-region, is inextricably linked, given the number of vehicles (both private and commercial) that originate in Pennine Lancashire.

Digital Connectivity

6.12 Enhancing digital connectivity is one of the strategic priorities of the MAA, with Government Action 15/ Pennine Lancashire Action 18 requiring partners to provide evidence of a lack of broadband provision as an economic barrier. Pennine Lancashire’s broadband coverage (both first and next generation) is currently uneven and in need of improvements in order to support economic growth. A strategic action plan for digital connectivity has recently been produced for Pennine Lancashire which sets out strategic priorities in the move towards the widespread take-up and use of next generation access (NGA) broadband. It highlights that unless public intervention occurs, by 2015 16% of premises in Pennine Lancashire are unlikely to receive NGA services, 36% are expected to have services from one operator, and 48.1% of premises from two or more operators. The map below indicates these areas, with those ‘white areas’ potentially justifying public intervention.

6.13 The Strategic Action Plan has as its overall vision (in alignment with the Regional NGA Framework): “The widespread take-up and use of NGA by all, to enable social and economic prosperity”. Pennine Lancashire partners will therefore work together to ensure that the whole sub-region is served by this technology, with a target date of 2017 for 100% coverage.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 33 1 NGA operator

2+ NGA operators

Figure 6.1: Expected ‘next generation’ broadband coverage by 2015 if PLACE does not take action to improve digital connectivity

6.14 The strategic employment sites that have been identified across Pennine Lancashire will help deliver transformational economic change in the sub-region and it is imperative that these sites are served by high speed broadband connections to ensure they can compete with locations outside the sub-region to attract the desired high value and knowledge based businesses to the area. Progress has already been made in improving digital connectivity for the business and enterprise sector, for example with the Media Access Bureau at the Burnley UCLAN campus that provides high speed connectivity with MediaCity in Salford.

6.15 Improving digital connectivity also presents opportunities for, and will help ensure a sustainable future for the rural economy. Planning policy limits the amount of physical development that can occur in rural areas, but with improvements to digital infrastructure, opportunities will be extended for rural businesses to operate over the internet, and the potential for home working will also be improved. The sub-region’s rural areas tend to be the most attractive residential areas for higher wage earners who are more likely to require home working facilities. This however correlates with the areas that are least likely to have effective high speed broadband coverage and this is therefore an issue to be addressed. Public sector intervention may be required to facilitate NGA coverage in these areas as it is unlikely that provision will be financially viable for the private sector.

6.16 In addition to ensuring coverage across Pennine Lancashire, competition between providers should be increased by targeting areas currently covered by only one

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 34 provider. This should increase the range of services, speeds and technologies and should ensure the best value service for customers in the area.

In preparing local strategies, including Local Development Frameworks, local authorities should take into account the following matters:

• Local authorities should carefully balance economic growth and sustainable travel objectives when allocating sites and determining planning applications. Particular regard should be paid to the current capacity issues of the M65 and in order to minimise extra strain from new developments, effective travel demand measures should be put in place.

• LDFs should promote the relevant transport interventions named in this guide and the MAA and recognise their importance in facilitating economic growth in the sub-region.

• LDFs should consider the need for the pooling of contributions to support sub-regional infrastructure provision, and the need therefore for effective cross-boundary cooperation and aligned LDFs.

• Local authorities should work jointly and proactively with each other and infrastructure providers to ensure that the necessary digital infrastructure is planned for and integrated into new developments.

Relevant MAA Actions

• Pennine Lancashire Action 4: Strengthen Clitheroe/Manchester Rail Link Business Case

• Pennine Lancashire Action 5: Strengthen Todmorden Curve Business Case

• Pennine Lancashire Action 6: Strengthen East Lancashire Railway Business Case

• Pennine Lancashire Action 7: Submit Pennine Reach Business Case

• Pennine Lancashire Action 18: Provide Evidence of Broadband Constraints

Relevant MAA longer-term priorities:

• Priority 1: Increase capacity of M65

• Priority 2: A56 Bypass Scheme

• Priority 3: Reinstatement of Colne to Skipton Rail Line

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 35 7. High Quality Environment

A Green Infrastructure Approach

7.1 Pennine Lancashire is fortunate to possess a highly attractive natural environment. This includes both the open countryside, and open spaces within the towns. Together, these form the area’s “green infrastructure” – networks of spaces that function as a whole to provide a setting for the towns, allow people to access the countryside, enable the movement of wildlife and so on.

7.2 Green Infrastructure can be defined as the physical environment within and between our cities, towns and villages. It is a network of multi-functional open spaces, including formal parks, gardens, woodlands, green corridors, waterways, street trees and open countryside. It comprises all environmental resources, and thus a green infrastructure approach also contributes towards sustainable resource management.

7.3 Pennine Lancashire’s green infrastructure is one of its most unique assets, and offers a major economic opportunity to create a high quality environment to attract people and businesses into the area and retain those already living here. It also provides ways to address some of the other issues facing Pennine Lancashire by promoting recreation and healthy living, and by sustaining the rural economy.

7.4 If the opportunity presented by this green infrastructure is to be maximised, it is essential that decisions affecting it are taken in a joined-up way, with the “bigger picture” always in mind. This Guide provides a framework for adopting this approach in relation to the key elements of Pennine Lancashire’s assets.

7.5 Pennine Lancashire’s towns have a wide range of spaces of different types. Some of these are “hard” spaces and will be largely if not entirely paved, while others are “softer” and will have varying amounts of vegetation and unsurfaced ground. Together these form a "green-grey continuum" . The diagram below illustrates how different types of spaces might fit into this spectrum.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 36

Figure 7.1: The Green-Grey continuum

7.6 The key consideration under a green infrastructure approach is the way in which these spaces function together to form networks. Decisions affecting any one of these types of space should consider how it will affect the functioning of the network as a whole.

7.7 Pennine Lancashire has some key elements of green infrastructure that extend across administrative boundaries . Chief among these are the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, and the open countryside including the West Pennine Moors and the Forest of Bowland . These areas require a joined-up approach both to physical development affecting them, and to their management and promotion.

7.8 The setting of its towns means that links between town and countryside are a key green infrastructure issue for Pennine Lancashire. These links can be formed by a variety of routes, both single features (for example the canal and several disused railway lines ) but also by networks of connected features and spaces. They will serve a range of functions, including physical travel and recreation for people, the movement of wildlife, and the introduction of green space into the urban fabric. Local development framework policies on these issues will need to be informed by an evidence base that identifies these links, and will put forward policies supporting their creation, enhancement and protection.

7.9 Pennine Lancashire’s landscapes have an intrinsic value and make a major contribution to quality of place. Future development in Pennine Lancashire should be appropriate to the landscape within which it is situated, and where possible should contribute towards its conservation, enhancement or restoration, or the creation of new features 6. Local authorities need to ensure that the potential impacts of proposals for renewable energy schemes have been thoroughly assessed to ensure that the landscapes have the capacity to accommodate them.

Managing Resources Sustainably

7.10 Pennine Lancashire is planning for economic transformation in the coming years, and this growth must be pursued in a manner that does not compromise the aspirations to protect and enhance the sub-region’s natural environment. Economic growth is traditionally associated with increased demand for land, increased carbon emissions through energy use and transportation, and increased pressure on natural resources. Pennine Lancashire must therefore plan to secure economic transformation whilst at the same time striving to minimise the sub-region’s environmental footprint, ensuring that the ability of future generations to meet their own needs is not compromised by unsustainable approaches today. This will require a thorough understanding of the sub-region’s natural environment, and innovative solutions to resource management and the mitigation of impacts arising from new development.

6 The “Landscape and Heritage SPG” that supplemented policies 20 and 21 of the Joint Lancashire Structure Plan.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 37 7.11 New development makes a limited but important contribution to climate change. Planning authorities in the area will seek to implement and encourage good practice by promoting energy efficient methods of construction, good siting and by reducing the need to travel. In addition we will work with partners to protect and maximise the value of open spaces, woodlands, river valleys, etc which play an important part in “Green Infrastructure” networks. Through these and related actions it is intended that the Lancashire Climate Change Strategy target of reducing CO 2 emissions by 30% by 2020 will be achieved.

7.12 The need to develop in a sustainable manner applies to all the key themes identified within the Spatial Guide. New development should be focussed in sustainable locations that are accessible by means other than just the car and should also be designed in a manner that reduces carbon emissions. This can be achieved through a number of measures, including efficient insulation of buildings and the use of micro- renewables on site. Grey water systems and sustainable urban drainage systems can help minimise the impact of new development on drainage systems.

7.13 Wherever possible, local authorities and partners should seek to procure local products as a means of seeking to minimise their carbon footprint as well as supporting local businesses. Pennine Lancashire recognises the value of sustainable transport and the Multi Area Agreement promotes the improvement of the rail network and supports the development of high quality bus routes and new bus stations.

Enhancing the Recreational Potential of the Natural Environment

7.14 Pennine Lancashire authorities will seek to maximise the recreational benefits of the various green infrastructure routes through the policies of their Local Development Frameworks. This will help attract visitors and holiday makers to the area which will in turn contribute towards the economy.

7.15 Pennine Lancashire’s residents’ overall health is generally poor, and the value of green infrastructure in raising health levels by encouraging physical exercise should be recognised by local authorities. Green infrastructure presents many recreational opportunities and local authorities should ensure that these opportunities are accessible to residents.

7.16 The use of disused quarries in Pennine Lancashire for mountain bike events as part of the Adrenaline Gateway initiative and the Pennine Lancashire Panopticons Trail are both good examples of initiatives that can make a valuable contribution to green infrastructure within Pennine Lancashire.

Promoting the Sub-region at a Regional Level

7.17 Pennine Lancashire will continue to be promoted through the brand and the local authorities will work with Regenerate Pennine Lancashire, Lancashire County Council and other partners to promote the area. It is recognised that transforming the deeply embedded negative perceptions of Pennine Lancashire that have built up over the last generation will take time, but it is essential to improve the area’s image in order to attract the much needed investment required to deliver the transformational agenda.

In preparing local strategies, including Local Development Frameworks, local authorities should take into account the following matters:

• LDFs should adopt a Green Infrastructure approach to planning for countryside areas and urban open spaces.

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 38 • Maximise the recreational benefits of Green Infrastructure routes, including the network of public rights of way, cycle ways and transport corridors such as the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.

• LDFs should recognise the importance of the sub-region’s green infrastructure in the branding and promotion of Pennine Lancashire, and the potential economic benefits to be gained from this.

• Local Authorities will need to work collaboratively with regards to Green Infrastructure, to ensure that Green Infrastructure is not restricted by administrative boundaries, and to determine how the Regional Park should evolve.

Relevant MAA Actions:

The Multi Area Agreement does not specifically deal with environmental issues, however the appended Pennine Lancashire Integrated Economic Strategy recognises the importance and potential of Pennine Lancashire’s natural environment in attracting visitors, residents and investors into the area. Of particular relevance are the following two strategy aims:

Strategy 4.3: Delivering Quality of Place Strategy 4.4: Improving image and perceptions

Pennine Lancashire Spatial Guide: August 2011 39